A Reputation to Keep
by greencyanide
Summary: The perpetual slacker Regulus Black's reputation is in danger!


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: A lighter story. Regulus is a stickler for reputation and tries to be what everyone expects him to be, be that the slacker or a Death Eater. Satirical implication intended. Hope you will like it.**

**Prompts:**

**"I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth," (Monday 2nd August)**

**"She did this? But why?" (Wednesday 4th August)**

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Regulus was bored. Falling asleep bored. He was supposed to have finished Professor Slughorn's homework by now, but he couldn't remember anything about uses of Manfrix roots. He felt philosophical- if people could just look up such things in books, why do they need to write essays about it? Isn't that just waste of parchment?

He must have read his thoughts aloud, because Severus Snape, sitting(with his nose buried in a book obviously) on a couch a few feet away in the Common room looked like he had just swallowed a whole turkey in one go.

Yeah, tell the bookworm, it's no use writing essays, thought Regulus, thoroughly disgusted.

"If you can't write, it's your problem, you dunderhead," scowled Snape.

"I'm sorry I said people shouldn't write essays. What was I_ thinking_- it's blasphemy!" said Regulus. He stood up before Snape could open his mouth again. He had to resort to the unthinkable. He would have to go to the library. His insides shivered.

Regulus slunk into the library, his bag close to his head. He would have to duck if anyone saw him. If a soul found out that Regulus Black had been inside the library, his name would be tainted, absolutely tarnished! He had a reputation to keep.

There was a small group of first years gathered around Madam Pince, complaining about a book. So Regulus quietly walked (hunched in the shadows of the shelves) towards the Potions section of the library, unnoticed. Fortunately, it was deserted. Casting furtive glances around every now and then, he started searching for a book on medicinal roots(he didn't even know the name of the book, dammit!).

He saw a book labelled Healing Potions, and desparately hoping it would have the information he needed, he clutched it, and stuffed it inside his bag.

Before he turned to leave, a soft but stern female voice behind him spoke, "You have to check it in with Madam Pince before you take it."

His impulse killed him. Before he could control he dropped the book and turned around. Regulus realised the Gods in high heavens were playing very cruel tricks on him.

Anastasia Lyman gasped in shock. Yes, indeed it was Regulus Black in the library. Regulus felt his hopes of taking her out in the next Hogsmeade weekend were shredded to a billion pieces. Weeks of showing off(rolling up sleeves in Common room when she was there), smooth-talking(saying he had fought a dragon on his holiday to Romania) and dropping hints(asking her if she was going to Hogsmeade with anyone about a hundred and thirty seven times) wasted.

"Re-Regulus?" she whimpered, eyes wide in shock.

"Hello, Anastasia, um- I came here to- pick this book up for uh- Snape. Yeah, Snape! I, er- he was going to curse with his you know... those self-made spells. Hah! You do not want to be at the receiving ends of those! So...uh- Anastasia?"

Anastasia looked quite pale, and for one fleeting moment Regulus thought she was going to shout. But she opened her mouth, and closed it once again, looking like a fish out of water.

"I, er, see you, Regulus. I have to go get a book, or ..uh, something," stammered Anastasia, in the most unconvincing manner, backing away as one does from a raging animal- slowly, without breaking eye contact.

Before Regulus knew what he was doing, he quickly covered the distance between in them in a few long steps, grabbed Anastasia and latched his lips on hers. He knew Anastasia would resist, but she did not. Maybe it was shock. If he met someone like him in the library, personally he would hex him suspecting Polyjuice Potion at play.

"NO KISSING IN THE LIBRARY!"

Regulus let go of Anastasia quickly- but this time not turning back on impulse. No one else should know about this debacle. Especially not the Gryffindor Head Girl!

"Twenty points off Slytherin, Lyman!" barked Margaret Bilkins, the Head Girl, "and who is this partner in crime?"

Regulus made to run, but apparently Bilkins seized the back of his robes, forcing him to turn around.

"Black!" she exclaimed, "The gall! You dare coming to the library to make your lurid dreams come true? Wait till I call Madam Pince and your House Master. Let every student know that you are stalking the library these days."

"NO!" shouted Regulus. _This could not be happening._

"No, I swear I was not stalking! I came here for a bo- I mean, someone asked me to pick up a book. I swear I was just telling her that," said Regulus. "You thought I was kissing her? Haha! No, I wasn't _kissing_ her, I was whispering in her mouth," he added forcing a small laugh, as if Bilkins had missed something so obvious, it deserved a chuckle or two.

"Shut up, Black. Even the dimwit that you are, you should come up with a better story."

Regulus thought fast- indeed Bilkins was right. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you the truth. I -uh- you see, Anastasia has a boyfriend, Lucas Brevinsky. You know that big beefy boy from your year. But she likes me, and I like her. So, you know, we can't be together anywhere around the rest of our House mates. So she asked me to come here, so we could..," he trailed of emphatically, hoping against hope he had successfully appealed to Bilkins' romantic nature- if she had one, that is.

But apparently not. "So you're saying she suggested this clandestine rendezvous, sleazeball. She did this? But why?"

"I told you, because of her boyfriend! He's big and he'll snap her into two if he knows."

"Aww, that's such a romantic story," said Bilkins, sympathetic voice and Regulus almost sighed in relief. But her expression hardened and he realized it was sarcasm. "But I wonder why I don't believe this?"

Anastasia stood like a stone and that was not necessarily a bad thing. At least she was not contradicting his story, which wouldn't stand on its feet at the face of accusations.

Bilkins, however, did not budge. She stood there threateningly, judging and weighing the situation, ready to call out for Madam Pince any moment now.

This time, Regulus gave away to his impulse. He had no other option.

He jerked out his wand, and before it registered in Bilkins and her expression turned fearful, Regulus cried, "_Obliviate_!"

The girls stood frozen in their places, their eyes glassy and expressionless under the mild effect of Memory Charm- the memory of the past hour erased from their memories.

Regulus ran towards the dungeon like he was chased by the hounds from hell. When he entered the Common Room, panting, it was still empty except Snape sitting in the same chair, with the same book on his face. It was as if an hour had not passed.

"Take it from someone who actually does his homework, Black, going out running for an hour would not help you flick the light on inside your useless head," he sneered.

Regulus did not even feel like returning his snide remark. He was just relieved- his reputation was out of danger. No chink in the shining armour.


End file.
